


Two Queer Mutants Walk into a Drug Sale…

by MCUsic_to_my_ears



Series: Avengers Pride Month 2020 [2]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: (grad student really but that's not a tag nor plot relevant), College Student Peter Parker, Coming Out, Gay Pride, Hospitals, Nonbinary!MJ, Other, Pride, Serious Injuries, author gets way too into world building again, nonbinary!Foggy, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24577699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCUsic_to_my_ears/pseuds/MCUsic_to_my_ears
Summary: Peter is hospitalized after his most recent encounter as Spider-Man. He brings a friend who brings a friend.
Relationships: Matt Murdock & Peter Parker, Matt Murdock/Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Series: Avengers Pride Month 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769038
Comments: 11
Kudos: 106





	Two Queer Mutants Walk into a Drug Sale…

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Pride! Stay safe everyone!

MJ was in a meeting with their faculty advisor about the beginnings of their Master’s in sociology when they got the notification. A ping on their watch, designed by Peter and Tony when Peter got legally drunk for the first time, and MJ was wrapping up the meeting with excuses they couldn’t even remember and hoped they wouldn’t be quizzed over anytime soon. Something about an aunt, they were pretty certain as they hopped on their bike and pedelled quickly to the discreet meet up location a few blocks off campus Karen had indicated. 

They knew that Peter had been intent on missing a seminar that he’d helped organize in order to hunt down a few kingpins in the drug gang in the city. Peter always came second to Spider-Man despite all of MJ’s arguments. Peter had insisted that everything would be open and shut. Even promised that he was working with another vigilante. Something about the drug runners crossing into both of their ‘territories’. As if the New York heroes had brunch weekly to discuss who was going to patrol where. Maybe they did, MJ tried not to ask. 

MJ slipped their bike into the trunk of the SUV driven by one of Tony’s security members. When not out as Spider-Man, Peter always had at least one guard with him, after the adoption had become official their senior year. When Peter had proposed, MJ had gotten one too. Calling their soon to be father-in-law overprotective was a severe understatement. Their bodyguard tossed his own bike in and closed the door behind them. 

Immediately, Karen began explaining what she couldn’t in private. 

“Peter was severely injured and rendered unconscious in his last encounter as Spider-Man,” the AI began. “Mr. Stark was alerted when the encounter began to turn against his favor. Peter’s unnamed companion brought him to a public hospital. Nurse Claire Temple, a Stark employee specializing in mutant medicine, was transferred to their location and arrived ten minutes ago. Peter is still unconscious, but healing at normal rates. Halfway through the battle, Peter requested that you join him in the hospital and Mr. Stark has asked that you oversee his transfer and the transfer of his companion to a private hospital in the city.” 

MJ bit their tongue before they asked why Tony wasn’t already at the hospital, remembering that the man was in Japan for the next week touring potential companies to become subsidiaries of SI. However, they knew that the trip would be cut short. MJ sighed, before quietly thanking Karen. They hated that they wouldn’t have known that Peter was hurt unless he had requested them. They knew that Peter didn’t want to scare them, but they weren’t squeamish by any means. Peter wanted to keep his two lives separate. Unfortunately, it was an impossible task, especially when his dad was Ironman. 

The ride to the hospital took far too long in their opinion, but they were used to that churning apprehension. When they finally arrived at the back entrance, a third security guard met them. Peter was being held in a far wing as arranged by Temple, apparently. 

The driver took off to the connected parking garage and MJ’s normal bodyguard, Antione, who was dressed casually, followed closely. The more obviously dressed guard kept a greater distance ahead, leading them quickly to Peter’s room. When they got to the quiet of the near empty floor, which signage noted as geriatrics, they weren’t alone. A person with blonde hair in a neat bun wearing a simple suit was sitting in the hallway. MJ always tried to suppress their innate drive to categorize as male or female, but with this person, no label immediately floated into their mind. They bit their lip at that. Maybe they were making some progress in removing their socialization. 

Antione and the third guard spoke quietly for a moment in their clipped code before Antione motioned for MJ to sit a few feet away from the stranger. The third guard disappeared outside, likely acting gatekeeper outside the door to the wing. MJ scrolled through their emails, wishing they hadn’t left their notebook in the car. They wouldn’t have gotten any real work done, but at least they could feel a bit more in control of the situation. Glancing at their watch, Karen had no new updates on Peter. A few more emails and then MJ felt eyes on them. They looked to Antione first, who sat to MJ’s right, between them and the stranger, who seemed relaxed. Then casting their gaze further, they caught the stranger looking down immediately after they turned their angle. 

The pattern continued for almost thirty minutes before MJ finally sighed. “So what brings you here?” they asked. 

Antione gave them a warning look to not interact, but MJ knew that if the person was approved to be there by Stark security, they either were grieving a dead grandma or in the know. 

The stranger jerked in surprise. “Um. My, my great aunt. She’s about to. I mean, they think-”

“I’m sorry,” MJ interrupted, cheeks heating in embarrassment. Antione seemed to have a point after all. 

“What, um.” The stranger cleared their throat. “What about you?”

Antione grabbed MJ’s hand. “My mother has Stage Four lung cancer, if you must know.” He lied. “My kid was kind enough to join me before we visit her for the last time.” 

MJ was thankful that he didn’t misgender them even in his falsehood. Although the implication that he was their father when they only differed seventeen years in age stung a little. They didn’t look that young. The brief anger flooded out of them when they remembered why he was lying in the first place though. 

They swallowed to wet their throat before going back to their phone. This time shooting a brief text to Tony to ask when he would be back in the States. The response was immediate, which already indicated that he’d dictated the response to Friday and was on a flight back already. The answer of two hours indicated that he’d elected to take the suit. 

As much as MJ hated the concept of billionaires, they were glad Peter had one looking out for him. Their partner got into way too much trouble as it was. 

Another half hour or so, and the door to the room in front of MJ opened. A Hispanic nurse walked out, eyes sweeping over the trio waiting. The nurse sighed, shaking their head. “Come on,” they sighed. 

The stranger stood, but cast their gaze toward MJ. “Um, if this is about our mutual friend-”

“Did Stark not text anyone?”

MJ blanched at the nurse’s blatant discussion of Tony around a civilian. They looked to Antione to resolve the situation. 

Seeing MJ’s discomfort, Antione began to explain. “MJ, this is Claire Temple. She’s the nurse Tony sent in.” 

Claire waved, looking tired. She raised an eyebrow. “Let’s go,” she insisted. “Both of you.”

Antione nodded, so MJ stood, following the nurse in. The stranger followed behind. Inside the hospital room, two beds were separated by a curtain. In one, Peter laid flat, an IV in his arm and his leg up in a cast. They sighed at their partner. The injuries would heal in a couple of days, but that was no real excuse to put himself in reckless danger. Peter seemed to sense their upset, because he only gave a meek, “Hi,” upon their arrival. 

On Peter’s right, another person sat, staring blankly ahead, head cocked as if listening intently. 

“Our mutual friend has a bit of a concussion,” Claire announced, speaking to the stranger it seemed. “Might help if you speak up.”

The stranger forced a smile. “Hey, Matty.” The other injured person seemed to finally lock in on the stranger. The cane leaning against the wall indicated to MJ that the person was blind. What the hell had Peter gotten up to this time?

“Can’t seem to keep yourself out of trouble, huh?” the stranger continued. 

MJ ducked their head. “Took the words out of my mouth for this one too,” they supplied. 

If the stranger was in here visiting someone that Claire had been working on, it was likely the other patient was the other vigilante that Peter had mentioned. 

Peter smiled sheepishly. “I told you I brought help,” he whined. 

“Yeah, help didn’t seem to do much.” They nodded to the other patient. 

Antione sensed that the room was fine and took his post outside in the hallway. 

Claire’s eyes ignited in realization. “Tony really didn’t text you two, huh?” she asked. 

Both MJ and the stranger shook their heads. 

“Goddamn him,” she muttered under her breath. “Alright, I’ll let you all get to know each other. I’ve got transport coming in thirty. I’ll need a couple signatures from the medical proxies.”

With that, Claire disappeared the same direction Antione did. 

Peter pulled the curtain between himself and the other patient away. “Um. So this is the guy I was working with. Matt-”

“I’m the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen,” Matt interrupted, eyes pinging around MJ’s direction. 

“MJ,” they responded. 

“I’m Spider-Man,” Peter added, glancing at the stranger, who had taken a seat beside Matt. 

“Foggy,” the stranger greeted. 

Peter stared at MJ for a really long time after that. MJ stared back, ignoring their roommates. Finally, Peter seemed to realize that MJ couldn’t read his mind and mouthed, ‘Safe. Out.’ He tilted his head to Matt and Foggy. 

MJ sighed. “I use they/them pronouns,” they announced into the tense silence. 

Foggy jerked at that. “Um.” Foggy blinked a couple times, turning to Matt and then back to MJ. “So do I,” they offered. 

It was MJ’s turn to be stunned. That explained why their brain had waited to offer up a gender about them. Then, despite the stress of the day and Peter’s still too-close-to-death status, laughter bubbled out of MJ. Everyone in the room looked at them curiously. 

“I’m sorry,” they apologized, choking back their giggles. “I’m sorry. It’s just- what would all the conservatives think if they knew that two of New York’s biggest vigilantes were both queer _and_ had nonbinary partners. They’d called for your goddamn heads on stakes. I just-” Another bout of laughter caught them off guard.

Peter caught on quickly too and joined in. “Oh my god. Imagine all of us at Pride. They’d shit themselves.”

Just then, the door opened again, the third bodyguard allowing a petite person through. “Karen,” Matt chuckled. The woman, MJ was pretty sure, raised an eyebrow at the injured vigilante. “Karen, how would like an exclusive on the gay heroes on New York?” He turned his head to Peter and MJ. “I’m pretty sure I could get one more to go on the record. Our friend from Brooklyn?” 

Something sparked in Peter’s eyes. “Dad’ll be so pissed that he didn’t come out first.”


End file.
